Shikigami Summoning in Konoha

Chapter 24: We Are All Foxes!

As they say, happiness is often built on the pain of others. Seeing Neji's twitching mouth, Katsuragi couldn't help but feel a strange sense of joy. What's the saying again? "I love to see you annoyed, yet powerless against me."

After parting ways with Neji at a crossroads, Katsuragi started heading home. To treat Neji to a meal, he had chosen a place a bit further away this time.

"Why? Why does everyone have to treat me this way?"

"I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Sob..."

Passing a dimly lit alley, Katsuragi faintly heard a child's whispers and crying. Curious, he followed the sound.

Under the bright moonlight, Katsuragi saw a little boy with blonde hair crouched in a corner. As he got closer, he paused in surprise. The boy's thin figure, blue eyes, and whisker-like marks on his cheeks were unmistakable.

"Naruto Uzumaki!"

Katsuragi could forget anyone from the original work, but he could never forget Naruto, the hero who saved the ninja world along with Sasuke.

"What's he doing here?"

Katsuragi didn't rush to approach. Knowing Naruto was the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails, even if the Third Hokage didn't assign someone to monitor him, the village had rules about contacting him. Approaching Naruto could easily bring trouble to himself.

Though he couldn't make contact, observing from a distance was harmless and even appropriate given his current disguise as a 'child,' who would naturally be curious.

"Right! Sister Fox!"

Katsuragi hadn't forgotten that the Three-Tails had a bond with the Nine-Tails in this world. His first impulse upon seeing Naruto was to call the Three-Tails to take a look, but just as he was about to immerse his consciousness into the courtyard, something unexpected happened.

"What's this?"

A brutal, raging aura emanated from Naruto, centered around him like a dark gateway filled with cold, damp air. What surprised Katsuragi was that he felt he could enter it.

"The seal of the Nine-Tails!"

He couldn't think of any other possibility, but he hadn't expected that he would be able to feel the seal of the Nine-Tails, and even more so, that he could enter it. This situation made him excited yet cautious.

"The Nine-Tails! Should I go over there?"

Looking at Naruto, who was quietly sobbing but trying to endure, Katsuragi was torn. On one hand, he was very eager to see the Nine-Tails, but on the other, he worried about affecting the seal or endangering himself if he entered.

"First, I'll consult with Sister Fox in the courtyard!"

Ultimately, Katsuragi resisted his impulse. Since the incident with Hinata, he realized he couldn't treat his own death lightly, so for safety, he decided to enter the courtyard first to discuss the situation.

What Katsuragi didn't know was that inside Naruto, the Nine-Tails was also watching him intently.

"Why is there a fox's aura there? And a hint of icy scent..."

Looking at the seal in front of him, the Nine-Tails's eyes flickered with deep hatred. "Damn humans..."

"Sister Fox! Sister Snow!"

Under the cherry blossom tree, where the Three-Tails was enjoying a nap on Snow Woman's lap, Katsuragi's sudden entrance startled her. She quickly got up and asked, "What's wrong, Katsuragi?"

"Sister Fox! Do you remember I told you about the Nine-Tails Fox? I just encountered the boy who is sealed with the Nine-Tails. When I was coming here, I felt like I could enter that seal..."

"Wait, wait!"

Katsuragi paused, surprised to find that he could also sense the seal of the Nine-Tails more clearly within the courtyard. Most importantly, he had a strange intuition that he could take the Three-Tails and Snow Woman into the Nine-Tails' seal with him.

This intuition also told him that they would be protected by the power of the courtyard and would not be harmed.

With his biggest worry alleviated, Katsuragi felt less concerned. Choosing between curiosity and the potential impact on Naruto, he opted for the former and said to the two, "Sister Fox! Sister Snow! Want to go see the most powerful fox in this world?"

"A fox?"

Snow Woman glanced at the Three-Tails, who was still trying to grasp Katsuragi's words, her eyes flashing with interest as she asked, "Is it a creature like Sister Three-Tails?"

"No, no!" Seeing the Three-Tails still puzzled, Katsuragi chuckled and explained, "Though they are both foxes, this one has six more tails than Sister Fox!"

"Tamamo no Mae?"

Snow Woman asked instinctively.

"Not exactly!" Seeing Snow Woman confusing it with the legendary fox spirit, Katsuragi felt a bit troubled about how to explain and finally said, "Anyway, if Sister Snow wants to know, we can just go and see!"

"Let's go!"

Hearing Katsuragi's suggestion, Snow Woman nodded lightly.

"And Sister Fox?"

During Katsuragi and Snow Woman's explanation, the Three-Tails also understood what was happening. However, upon hearing that although it was a fox, it had six more tails than her, she felt a bit upset.

"Hmph! What's so great about having more tails? It doesn't represent strength!" The Three-Tails flicked her fiery red tails, clearly unimpressed.

Snow Woman looked at the Three-Tails and her eyes briefly twinkled with amusement: "But Tamamo no Mae is indeed much more powerful than you."

"Tamamo no Mae is an exception!"

Seeing the two were about to argue further, Katsuragi quickly intervened, "Sister Fox, if we keep talking, we might miss our chance to see the Nine-Tails!"

"Alright! Alright! Let's go see this world's Nine-Tails then!"

Hearing Katsuragi, the Three-Tails temporarily set aside her argument with Snow Woman, looking at Katsuragi curiously, "How do we get there?"

"Just a moment!"

Katsuragi closed his eyes to focus, then using the power of the courtyard, he enveloped himself, the Three-Tails, and Snow Woman, and flew towards the direction he sensed. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at a location resembling a sewer.

"In a place like this?"

Looking around at the damp and gloomy environment, Snow Woman frowned, her love for cleanliness making her uncomfortable with the surroundings.

The Three-Tails didn't mind much, standing next to Katsuragi and eagerly surveying the area, while Katsuragi stared at the iron gate marked with a seal, knowing the Nine-Tails was inside.

"Who are you guys..."

Suddenly, a deep, fierce voice boomed from behind the gate, and a huge shadow slowly emerged from the darkness, its blood-red eyes fixed intently on Katsuragi and the others.

"Wow! Katsuragi! It really is a big fox!"

Seeing the Nine-Tails, the Three-Tails ran excitedly to the gate and stared at the sealed Nine-Tails, counting, "One, two, three...nine! There really are nine!"

"Be careful, Sister Fox!" Although Katsuragi was confident that the Nine-Tails could not harm him, he wasn't sure if this protection extended to the Three-Tails and Snow Woman, so he cautioned her.

"It's okay! Katsuragi! We are all foxes! He surely won't harm me, right, Nine-Tails?"

End of chapter 24